Varna Economic Development Agency (VEDA) hosted a partner meeting under the TOURISMO project, funded by the INTERREG EURO-MED 2021-2027 Programme. The project involves 10 partners and 16 associated organizations from seven European countries – Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta. Leading is the Agency for the Development of the South Aegean Region – READ S.A., Greece.  On the Bulgarian side, partners in the project are Varna Economic Development Agency  and the City Region ”Odessos”, Varna Municipality as an associated organization.

The main goal of TOURISMO is to move towards conscious and sustainable tourism through innovative approaches, multi-stakeholder involvement, improvement of tourism services and stronger engagement of end users. The idea is to overcome these challenges by using innovative technologies that offer modern solutions and services for monitoring and managing tourist flows.

During the event in Varna, the goals and objectives of the project were presented, as well as the main roles and commitments of the partners in its implementation. Each of them introduced the participants to the pilot region they represent, the specifics of their work, and the methods by which the planned results will be achieved.

The project will focus on areas with a high concentration of tourists in seven pilot sites in partner countries. By using data collected in different ways – thermal cameras, visitor counters, drones, etc., the density, routes, behavior and habits of tourists will be studied. For this purpose, a variety of locations have been selected – UNESCO sites, ports, urban centers, beaches, cultural monuments, parks, etc.

In Varna, the object of observation with the help of a drone are three points in the central part of the city – the Opera House, the entrance to the Sea Garden and the Sea Station. The information that will be collected will be used to prepare an analysis, on the basis of which recommendations will be made to institutions and local authorities engaged in activities in the field of tourism.

The duration of TOURISMO is 33 months – from 01.01.2024 to 30.09.2026.